Animal trap



B. couCH ANIMAL TRAP Jan, 7, 1930.

`Filed Aug. 51, 1928 csv z 0 J/ zi n/ y Y:

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31a/vanto@ "Patented `1an. 7, 1930 Bum. cooH, or' usioux errar, iowa ANIMAL TRAP V.application filed August 31, 1928. `Serial No, 393,215.

My invention relates to animal traps of the type patented in `my U. S. Patent No. 1,674,276, issued June 19, 1928, and has for itslobject to improve upon the construction 5 of that 1patent;V

@ne objectot my invention is to preserve the general features of construction of said patent, to wit; a treadle extending thefull "length of the trap, a sliding jaw, a plunger lo shaft secured to the jaw and slidably mounted, and a compression spring encircling the shaft` and engaging a fixed bearing to exert pressure against the sliding jaw; and to incorporate into this general arrangement, a

l5 highly sensitive trigger arrangement.

One feature of the `trigger construction which the present invention provides, is a greater treadle leverage, which kis attained by employing an element in engagement with the treadle in such a manner that a very slight amount of movement of the treadle is necessary to release it, and placing the point ot engagement near to the hinge between treadle and base of the trap. 1

which it is my object to attain in this invention, is an intermediate trigger to receive the direct pull of the slidingj aw, and to in turn beengaged and `retained by the treadle.`

My purpose in providing such an intermediate trigger, is to take a `large proportion ofthe pull of the sliding jaw from the treadle, and transfer it to the trigger.. The trigger is so arranged that it takes the direct pull of the at an angle, resolves it into two forces, one opposed by the trigger, and the other, much the smaller' of the two, opposed by the treadle. These two forces act at substantially right angles to each other, and thus 40 the opposing force ofthe trigger can be er:-

erted ,longitudinally ofthe sliding j awshlaft,

with which thetrigger` makes contact, and

transversely of the treadle,`which is parallel to the shaft.

A further objectof my invention is to iinprove upon the f sliding engagement of the jaw andbase of thetrap.

Another object is to provide a trap which may be set without engaging the treadle with the hands ofthe operator, the treadle being Another feature of the trigger mechanism adapted to spring into set position automatically, and the other parts being similarly arranged to assume their proper positions for setting thetrap, w-ithoutaid from the hand 4of the operator. A

, A `still further `object is to provide a l'convenient gripping arrangement whereby the hands .of the ,operator may easily engage the sliding jaw and base of the trapin such a manner as to allow ready V'application of pressure from the lingers to set the trap.

A further object is to provide a trap having the foregoing features, and, in addition, simplicity, durability, and inexpensiveness of construction. n

With these `and other objects in View, my invention `consists in the construction, are rangement, and combination of the various parts of my invention, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which, i

Fig. l is aside elevation of the trap,

Eig. `2 is a plan View Othe trap, sprung,

Figi is a plan view of the trap, set,

gig. 4: is an endview of the trap, sprung, an

Fig. 5 is a sectionalvew of the sliding ]aw. c i

One objection to the trap of my patent, hereinbefore referred to, arises from Athe dis` tance to the hinge en d of the treadle, from the peint where the treadle .engages the slid ing aw. Because ofthe l,small ratio of treadle length to this distance, the eectiv'e `lever-agie of the treadle in springingthe trap is small. In the presentinvention, a inuchhigher ratio is obtained by the use of trigger, pro-vided with a rearwardly extending y,arm to engage the treadle near item-nge, and sensitivity is further increased by taking a large propor tion of the directfpulll of the jaw from the treadle, and transferring it to the trigger,

which is made self releasing from lengage`` 9 ment with the jaw, in the absence Of the `restraining `force of the tl'eadle against the trigger. a i

In the accompanying drawings, the base of the trap is shown at 10, constructed 'of a iat AKiri Arn slab of wood. The sides of the base are bevelled as shown in Fig. 4.

Secured to the base is the L-shaped member 11, forming the jaw 12 extending at right angles to the base 10, at one end thereof. The sliding jaw comprises a plate 13, slidable on the base 10, andprovided with lingers 14, embracing the bevelled sides of the base.

A jaw proper 15 is formed by bending up the plate 13 at one end, and nger-engaging elements 16 are bent upwardly from the other end of the plate 13. The elements 16 are provided with guards 17, which prevent the fingers of the operator from engaging the spring and treadle, received between the finger engaging elements.

The treadle 18 is formed of aflat strip of sheet metal, perforated at 19 to receive a pin 20, to secure it to the base 10. The pin 20 is loose enough in its engagement ofV thetreadle to allow the latter to freely hinge relative to the base. i

A light spring 21 urges the treadle upwardly.

A strip of wood or fibre 22 is secured to the end of the treadle which will be exposed to the tread of an animal. e

. A bridge-shaped bracket 23 is secured to the base 10 ust far enough from the jaw 12 to al low the sliding jaw to be moved away from the jaw 12 to provide a runway for mice, or whatever. animal the trap is built for. It

' will be understood that I do not intend to limit 'the use of the trap tormice, as it will be equally effective for rats, when built in larger proportion, and may be Aused for other animals as well.

An ear 24 projects upwardly from that side of the bracket 23 which is toward the aw 12, and is provided with an opening forming a bearing for the shaft 25, secured to the aw 15, parallel to its path of movement.

A compression coil spring 26 encircles the shaft 25, between the jaw 15 and the ear 24, and serves to urge the jaw 15 toward the jaw 12.

' It may be notedy at this point that the treadle 18'and the spring 26 and shaft 25 extend through the space between the guards 17, the latter serving to prevent contact of the operators fingers with thevformer, and providing a guide bearing surface for the edges of the treadle; Y

The treadle is held in position centered between the sides of the base, by the side extremities of an opening 27 in the sliding aw 15 (Fig. 5). `The treadle is of such length as to extend into the opening even when the trap is sprung, so that the end of the treadle may not catch against the jaw 15.

The shaft 25 is provided with a detent 28 in one side. A'trigger 29 is pivoted at 30 to the bracket 23, and is provided witha lug 31, extending upwardly to engage the side ofthe shaft 25. Then the sliding jawhas been opened to the extent of its movement, the detent 28 will register with the lug 31, and one of the linger engaging elements 16 will engage a lateral arm 32u on the trigger 29, forcing the trigger to swing about its pivot, and moving the lug 31 into the detent 28. This is one feature of the selfesetting arrangement.

It will be understood that in Fig. 3 of the drawings the trap is shown with its parts positioned after setting of the trap. The movement of the finger engaging element 16 toward the trigger during the setting opera- Ation will exceed the position shown in Fig.

3, to which position it will recede after the trigger has caught and the various parts have been pulled taut under the pressure of the spring.' i

The lug 31 is positioned, relative to the pivot 30, on a line which intersects the shaft 25 at an acute angle. Consequently, the pull of the shaft 25 against the trigger, will be resolved into two forces, one parallel to the shaft, and the other transverse thereto. The former will be the larger force, the latter being only a small proportion of the total, due to the acuteness of the angle at which the pull is received.

It will now be noted that the more acute the angle of pull, the smaller will be the lat* eral resultant of force. To be more specific, the nearer parallel the line connecting the lug 31 and the pivot 30, to the axis of the shaft 25, the greater will be the percentage of pull borne by the trigger. The lateral resultant may thus be adjusted by adjusting the pivot nearer to the center of the shaft, or vice versa.

This lateral resultant of force is opposed by the treadle, the trigger being provided with a depending lug 32, which rests against the upper surface of the treadle when the trap is sprung, and is adapted to engage the edge of the treadle when the trap is set, the treadle being urged upwardly by the spring 21 just enough to engage the lowermost extremity of the lug 32.

When the trigger is thus held by the treadle, the lug 31 will be enforced to keep its position in the detent 28.

The angular pull of the shaft against the trigger, due to the offset of the pivot, will force the lug 31 out of the detent 28 when the trigger is released by the treadle. The lateral resultant of force accomplishes this, and need be only suiicient to overcome the friction between the lug 31 and the shoulder of the detent 28, which is very small despite the considerable pull of the shaft.

The lateral force is decreased at the point of contact of the lug 32 with the treadle, due to the fact that the latter point is much farther from the pivot 30 than the lug 31. This extension of the trigger also brings the engagement of treadle andl trigger nearer to `the hinge of the treadle, increasing the leverage of the treadle in releasing the trigger.

It will now be seen that depression of the treadle will release the lug 32, thus allowing the pull of the shaft to force the lug 3l from the detent 28, and the trap will then snap shut.

Pulling the sliding jaw rearwardly causes the member 16 to engage the arm 32a, forcing the lug 3l into engagement with the detent and moving the lug 32 to position where the treadle may move upwardly to engage it. In setting the trap, it is grasped by one hand, the first two fingers straddling the treadle and engaging the respective elements 16, and the thumb hooked around the end of the base remote from the jaw l2. 'The other two fingers may then be placed against the side of the base, to steady `the trap in the fingers. By simply compressing the fingers toward the thumb, the trap may be set.

Some changes may be made in the construction andarrangement of the various parts of my invention, but it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or the use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

l. An animal trap, comprising; a base including a jaw, a slidable jaw mounted on the base, a shaft secured to the slidable aw and slidably supported by the base, a spring to urge the slidable jaw toward the other j aw, a

treadle hinged to the base, a trigger pivoted upon the base on an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the treadle and provided with an element to engage the shaft at a position spaced from the trigger pivot on a line Which crosses the shaft at an acute angle thereto, whereby the engagement of the said element and shaft is self-releasing, yet sustains a majority of the pull of the shaft under` its spring pressure, and an element on the trigger to engage the treadle, to secure the trigger against releasing the shaft,and in turn released by depression of the treadle.

2. An animal trap, comprising; a base including a jaw, a'slidable jaw mounted on the p base, a `spring to urge the slidable jaw toward the other aw, a treadlehinged to the base, a

trigger pivoted onthe base on an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the treadle and provided with an element to engage a portion of the slidable jaw at a position spaced from the trigger pivot on a line which crosses the axis of movement of the slidable jaw at an acute angle thereto, whereby the engagement of said element and the slidable jaw is self-releasing, yet sustains a majority of the pull on the slidable jaw under its spring pressure, and an element on the trigger to engage the treadle, to secure the trigger against releasing the slidable jaw,

and in turn released by depression of the treadle.

3. An animal trap comprising; a base in-- cluding a jaw, a slidable jaw mounted `ont-he base, a spring to urge the slidable jaw toward the other jaw, a treadle hinged to the base, a trigger pivoted on the base on an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofthe treadle and provided with an element to engage a 'portion of the slidable j aw, an element on the trigger to4 engage the treadle, to secure the engagement of trigger and slidable j aw, means to urge the treadle theretoward, and an arm on the trigger, extending into the path of movement of a portion ofthe slidable jaw, and actuated thereby to move both of said elements into engagement with their respective engaged members.

4L. An animal trap comprising; a base including a jaw, a slidable j aw mounted on the base, a shaft secured to the` slidable jaw and slidably supported by the base, a spring to urge the slidable jaw toward the other jaw, a treadle hinged to the base, a trigger pivoted to the `base on an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofthe treadle and provided with an element to engage the shaft on one side, an element on saidtrigger to engage the treadle on the othersidemneans to urge the treadle toward the trigger, and an arm on thetrigger, extending into the pat-h of movement of a portionof the slidable jaw, and actuated thereby to move both of said elements into engagement with their respective engaged members.

5. An animal trap comprising; a base including a aw, aslidable jaw mounted on the base, including a plate, a jaw formed at one end of the plate, finger engaging elements formed at the other end of the plate, extending at right angles thereto, and provided with 4guards extending parallel to each other, a

shaft secured to the slidable jaw and slidably mounted on the base, a spring to urge the slidable j aw toward the other jaw, a treadle positioned between the shaft and the base, said shaft, treadle, and spring being received between said guards, and trigger mechanism for setting the trap.

6. An animal trap comprising; a base including a jaw, the edges of said base being bevelled toward each other and away from the jaw, a slidable jaw slidably mounted on the base, comprising a plate, fingers bent from the plate toward each other at approximately the same angle as the bevel on the base, so as to embrace the sides of the base, a spring to urge the slidable jaw toward the other jaw, and trigger means.

7. An animal trap comprising; a base including a jaw, a slidable jaw mounted on the base, a shaft secured to the jaw and slidably supported by the base, a spring to urge the slidable jaw toward the other j aw, a treadle hinged to the base between the shaft and the Aio base, a trigger pivoted to the base between the treadle and the shaft on an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and provided with an element to engage the shaft at a position spaced from the trigger pivot on a line which crosses the aXis of the shaft at an acute angle thereto, whereby the engagementy of the said element with the shaft is self-releasing yet sustains a majority of the pull of the shaft under its spring pressure, and an element on the trigger to engage the edge of the treadle, to secure the trigger against releasing the shaft, and in turn released by depression ofl the treadle.

8. An animal trap comprising: a base including a jaw, a slidable jaw slidably mounted on the base, a shaft secured to the slidable jaw and slidably supported by the base, a spring to urge the slidable jaw toward the other jaw, a treadle hinged to the base, a bell crank shaped trigger pivoted to the base to move in a plane parallel thereto and adjacent said shaft, an element on said trigger to engage the shaft on one side, an element on said trigger to engage the treadle on the other side for holding the trigger in engagement with the shaft, said two elements being disposed on one arm of the trigger and the other arm being extended into the path of movement of a portion of the slidable jaw and actuated thereby to move both of said elements into engagement with their respective engaged members.

igned at Sioux City, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, this 24 day of August, 1928.

BUEL COUCH. 

